As prepared for delivery

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Colleagues from the Ministry of Education and State Agency on Vocational Education:

Mr. Famil Mustafayev, Director of State Vocational Education Agency

Mr. Parviz Yusifov, Ministry of Education, Deputy Head of the International Relations department, Project Director

Mr. Zamin Badirkhanov, Head of department on Career-guidance and cooperation with employers, State Vocational Education Agency

Mr. Madjid Bayramli, Head of Education programs and standards department, State Vocational Education Agency

Dear teachers and students of vocational schools in Lankaran, 

Distinguished members of the international community,

Honourable guests and delegates!

My warmest greetings to all of you!

It is a pleasure, and a great honour to be here today, in the vibrant and growing city of Jalilabad. It is a tribute to Azerbaijan’s rich tradition of cultivating life from the soil, sharing these fruits of labour, and endless hospitality. I extend my most honest regards and respects, as we mark a new chapter in education in Jalilabad.

Today, we – the European Union, the Government of Azerbaijan and UNDP mark the launch of our joint action, the Support to the solidification of Regional Industrial VET Competence Centre in Jalilabad. This initiative is part of a broader project we implement in Azerbaijan, with financial support from the European Union on Modernising Vocational Education and Training (VET) Centres in the country. We are strengthening the capacities of the Jalilabad Vocational Lyceum into a Regional VET Centre of Excellence, through a joint contribution of USD 3,463,531 by the EU and UNDP. In total, the EU is contributing USD 3,117,178, while UNDP is financing USD 346,353 in this project.

This project aims to continue to modernise the vocational education and training systems in Azerbaijan in line with European standards and practices. Through enhancing the quality of available services, and quality of education, we will strengthen the vocational education and development potential of Jalilabad.

The increasing interest in vocational education and in fact the main reason why we initiated this new joint initiative is driven by the need to address the growing shortage of qualified workforce and match the needs and skills of students with needs of employers. This shortage of qualified workforce is in large part due to the gaps between education and labour market in terms of both quality and quantity. In terms of quantity-specific gaps, we observe that the number of trained workforce is sometimes either bigger (for example, in case of healthcare service providers, such as nurses and pharmaceutical specialists, as well as graduates with the degree in education) or smaller than required by the labour market (as it is in case of graduates with specific skill sets and the knowledge of agriculture or industrial sectors). Quality gaps emerge as students fail to meet employers’ requirements as they do not have the capabilities that employers expect from them.

Our joint efforts will address the lack of technical support for specialised professional education institutions. Currently, many schools lack the sufficient supply of teaching materials, electronic audio and video equipment, field equipment as well as first-class library facilities that meet international standards. The development of the Jalilabad Centre of Excellence will allow students to access and utilise technologies currently in use by industrial and agricultural sectors and have access to supplies and resources to sustain this access in the future.

The concept of education is also central to the 2030 Agenda and is one of the Sustainable Development Goals or Global Goals. Equitable education and life-long learning opportunities for all are outlined in Sustainable Goal 4: Quality Education. This goal aims to provide equal access to affordable vocational training, so all can experience the benefits of high-quality education. It is important that we continue to drive success in our education systems, but it is also important that we look to global trends and mainstream success in the education sector to provide progressively cultivated and refined curriculums to strengthen employability.

It is our joint goal to strengthen the employability, and professional development to foster a stronger model of VET education in Azerbaijan. UNDP anticipates and endorses participatory involvement and collaboration with the private sector and individual entrepreneurs. This represents a significant and notable effort to achieve strategic goals which were set forth in the Roadmap for Vocational Education and Training Sector in Azerbaijan. The Roadmap itself is a testament to the Azerbaijani Government’s dedication to fostering human capital development and nurturing an enabling environment for youth participation in the labour market.

Through our new joint project with the EU, we will support the regional VET centres and will develop new coursework curricula and teaching modules for each calendar year. Additionally, we will ensure that VET facilities in Jalilabad (but also in Ganja, where we launched a similar project just a few days ago) receive significant support in the development of industry-specific infrastructure and equipment resources for a number of agricultural fields and industrial sectors.

The EU and UNDP will work alongside to strengthen the operational capacities of the Jalilabad Vocational Education Centre, to align with current market demands. The upgraded and improved centre in Jalilabad is established with the capacity to provide a favourable environment for generating non-oil sector employment, skills and training. Diversification of available skills and training will only serve to build a thriving, vibrant and multifaceted economy within Jalilabad. This project will develop and recognise local talent, as being pivotal and essential leaders in the development of a knowledge-based economy.

As we join forces with the European Union to promote quality education in Azerbaijan, I also want to note that there is a long-standing and solid partnership between UNDP and EU in Azerbaijan and throughout the region: this is reflected in joint engagement on reform and development efforts together with other partner countries. It also translates into our joint programme interventions across Europe and CIS, concluding on an annual basis on average of 20-25 new projects for a financial volume of about 90 million in euros. These project funds allow UNDP in close cooperation with our EU partners to fulfil our mandate of advancing human development.

The United Nations Development Programme has also implemented a noteworthy array of projects to strengthen the national labour force capacity in Azerbaijan in previous years, working with a diverse portfolio of funding partners globally.

Up to the present, the United Nations Development Programme has implemented a number of projects to strengthen the national labour force capacity in Azerbaijan. As we anticipate continuing these projects, we heavily rely on the partnership with the national and local government alongside the civil society organisations.

During the 2016-2017 academic years, we launched an inaugural pilot project aimed at developing a sustainable pasture curriculum for the animal husbandry specialisation. As a result, 15 new teaching modules have been established and included in the academic programme of the Qabala Vocational Education and Training School.

The two-year full-time training program includes climate and environment, botany, animal selection and reproduction, plant protection methods, farm and agricultural economy, sheep farming, animal feed production, grassland (pastures) management, fodder utilization, veterinary services and soil and land management. Throughout the training program, a total of 4,050 publications with specialised content were provided to the Qabala Vocational Education Centre. To further support the Qabala VET School’s longstanding learning experience, the Centre will receive state-of-the-art field equipment as the legacy of UNDP.

With yet another pilot initiative –this time in the Ismayilli region of Azerbaijan –UNDP in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and State Agency for Vocational Education has designed a new apiculture curriculum, including a set of 6 specialised modules on beekeeping.

As we move forward with the implementation of a brand new project in Jalilabad, I want to conclude my speech by saying that In Azerbaijan, continuous pursuit to further advance the vocational education and talent development portfolio is representative of the country’s indomitable spirit. At UNDP, we recognise and value this pursuit, and I trust that my colleagues from the EU will join me in saying that both the EU and UNDP stand ready to provide the Government of Azerbaijan all the necessary support in modernising vocational education in the country.

Thank you!